It's a financial center, not a bank, but USAA members in the Fort Hood area now have a place to deposit checks and cash and make withdrawals.

USAA is based in San Antonio, and provides insurance, banking, investment and retirement products to members of the military and their families, according to information from the company.

The organization recently opened a financial center in Killeen at 2309 E. Central Expressway, Suite 500.

There, members - more then 26,000 are in a five-mile radius of Fort Hood - can meet with representatives to discuss investments, get insurance quotes, apply for loans or receive financial advice on issues like retirement and college planning, according to information from USAA.

The center also offers wealth management help to those interested. Courtney Martin is the Killeen center's relationship manager. Call (254) 690-1289 to make an appointment.

The center includes state-of-the-art Internet workstations where members can use videophones to speak with member service representatives.

Lorise Santellan, a representative in San Antonio, said via videophone March 11 that the videophone option opens a lot of opportunities for members because anyone can use it, and she said USAA gets a lot of help requests from those who don't live in the San Antonio area.

She helped a handful of Killeen-area members in the week the center opened and said she received positive feedback from them about the process.

Technology is the greatest thing about the new center, said Sherita Johnson, center manager.

"This is the newest and most innovative walk-in financial service center in the country," N. Paul Berry, USAA spokesman, said in an e-mail earlier this month.

USAA already utilizes features like depositing checks using a scanner or taking photos of them with their iPhones or other mobile devices. It's all in an effort to meet the members where they are, Johnson said.

Deployed members can take power of their finances by using USAA's features and services - no matter where they are serving, she added.

Features like depositing checks for immediate withdrawal are simple and designed to be convenient for members, Berry said. USAA wants to make their lives easier.